Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of cryogenic gas-vapor separation. Our immediate interest is in removal of a vapor, such as carbon dioxide, from a carrier gas, such as flue gas, using an air-sparged hydrocyclone.
Related Technology
As cryogenic technologies become more prevalent, new methods of separating undesirable products, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other pollutants, from a carrier gas are needed. Hydrocyclones are a broadly used, very mature technology capable of separations of solids by mass, separation of non-miscible liquids, and separation of solids from gases. They are not used in gas/vapor separation because the cyclone vortex produced in a hydrocyclone does not cause separation in gases by mass.
Air-sparged hydrocyclones, a modified type of hydrocyclone, are a mature technology used in fields such as mineral processing, pulp and paper, and medical waste, to remove solids from liquids by an in-line froth floatation technique. They are used exclusively for separating an entrained solid from a carrier liquid. The use of air-sparged hydrocyclones in gas-vapor separations or cryogenics is not present in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,549 to Atwood teaches an air-sparged hydrocyclone separator. This disclosure is pertinent and may benefit from the devices disclosed herein and is hereby incorporated for reference in its entirety for all that it teaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,743 to Miller teaches an air-sparged hydrocyclone and method. This disclosure is pertinent and may benefit from the devices disclosed herein and is hereby incorporated for reference in its entirety for all that it teaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,771 to Miller teaches a process and apparatus for classifying solid materials in a hydrocyclone. This disclosure is pertinent and may benefit from the devices disclosed herein and is hereby incorporated for reference in its entirety for all that it teaches.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,488 to Torregrossa teaches gas sparged centrifugal device. This disclosure is pertinent and may benefit from the devices disclosed herein and is hereby incorporated for reference in its entirety for all that it teaches.